Sunday, April 17, 2016

ESC 2016 ISRAEL: HOVI STAR LOVES TO SING IT AWAY

Photo by Ronen Akerman

Hovi Star is representing Israel in the Eurovision song contest 2016 in Stockholm fulfilling a life long dream. He become household name in Israel in 2009 after taking part in a reality TV show Star is born. He didn't win but he's been around ever since thanks to his unique persona and voice. He has continued to release songs, doing gigs and even has been dubbing a lot of Disney and is known for his interest in fashion.

Doron Medalie who also wrote Israel's succesful Golden boy last year, is behind his song and tells: "This emotional ballad was written about our lives as human race, about the here and now. We are all connected in the virtual world while in real life we are disengaging from one another. The differences between human beings are getting stronger and the reality forces us to choose - shall we reconnect and help one another in real lifeor should we keep distancing ourselves and stay indifferent. Made of stars remind us that we are equal, we are all made of stars and all of us belong here in this planet."

After the jump is an interview with Hovi whee he tells about his love for the Finnish entry this year, who his past favorites are, who he is and how long he has been an Eurovision fan... among other things. Read away!

The videoclip was directed by Elad Wiseman and Yoav Tzafir and shot in four different Tel Aviv locations.

Who is Hovi Star? Besides winning the Israeli national final, the international audience doesn't know much about you. What should we know about the person?

Well, I wear a lot of crazy outfits, put on a lot of makeup and some days my hair is outrageous. But I guess under all of that I'm just a regular guy. I love spending time with my family, my dog, my friends and creating beautiful music. It's important for me that people will be aware that I write songs.

What is the message of 'Made of stars', your ESC entry?

"Made of Stars" is all about equality. It talks about how no matter where we're from, no matter what's the color of our skin, no matter what's our religion or sexual orientation we are all equal. If you look up at the stars you realize that you can't tell apart one star from the other, because from far away they all look the same. This song is kind of a mantra that I hope one day everybody will chant together.

What are your expectations for Stockholm, are you excited?

I am very excited!!! Performing on the Eurovision stage the lifelong dream of mine, so I'm excited to be there in front of that huge audience and sing my heart out. Besides that, I've been to Stockholm before! It's a beautiful place and the people are very friendly. I look forward to flying back.

How do you prepare yourself for the Eurovision performance?

Well, I've come to discover that there are so many things to do before the Eurovision. It's not like a regular performance. Everything (and I mean everything!!!) has to be planned down to the smallest detail, like what I'm going to wear on stage, the angles of the lights and cameras and even the moment I'm going to look into the lens and away from it. But basically all these things our technical, So I try to concentrate on my voice and my performance skills which are the things I know how to operate best.

Which are your favorite Eurovision songs and what is your favorite from your home country?

I don't think that's a fair question! There are so many songs from the ESC that I love, but I guess I could name a few. I really love "Euphoria"! I think it was a genius performance and Loreen has a very powerful and interesting voice. I also really love last year's winner! Flawless performance, the song is very good and the singer so hot and talented! Sweden really earned that victory!

My favorite from Israel's entries is of course "Diva" by Dana International. It's a beautiful masterpiece and Dana is very talented. I was just a little boy when Dana won the Eurovision but I remember being so proud of her and my country that day. Besides that I have met Dana plenty of times. She's an amazing person with a huge heart. A true diva.

Was it a dream of your to represent Israel in the ESC?

Of course!! I've been dreaming I'm standing on the Eurovision stage since I was about six years old. I remember standing on the table and performing the songs for my family. I feel so excited and honored in the fact that I get to represent my country in such a huge way. It means a lot to me.

What are your first Eurovision memories?

I don't remember what my first memory of the Eurovision is. It's all little blurry, but I do remember watching the competition with my mom when I was about three or four years old. I was astonished when I saw the stage, the lights and the amount of talents on the stage.

Have you listened to other songs from this year's contest? Do you have any favorites?

Of course I listened to other songs, And of course I have favorites!!! I really really really love Finland's entry, "Sing it away". Sandhja is very talented And she looks like a fun person to hang out with. When I see her video I just wanted to dance with her and be her friend. She's cool. Another favorite of mine is the French entry. Amir is a great singer and the song is very catchy.

You have recently filmed the music video for Made of Stars in Tel Aviv, can you tell us more about that?

It was a very fun experience! We shot the video at night so we had to do everything quick before the sun came out. What's funny is that Tel Aviv is one of those cities that never sleep so we started shooting at like six in the afternoon and there were people on the street but then people were still on the street when it was 5 am. They probably came back from a crazy night of partying. I know because the week before that I was one of those people.

Prior to the national final, the team of finalists had travelled to Sweden, and you said you really liked the mood of the country. Can you tell us more about it?

First of all the last time I was there it was snowing! Everyone who knows me knows I definitely love the winter and definitely love snow so that definitely made me happy. People in Sweden are so polite and the streets are so clean. I enjoyed my stay there very much.